Take-up device



A. KINDELMANN ET AL March 22, 1932.

'IAKE-UP DEVICE Filed 06*,- 31, 1929 2 sheets -sheet 1 w U. WW

I @M. HEB b B ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEALBERT KINDELMANN, 0F FLORAL PARK, AND EWALD IBOECKING, OF BBOOEYN, NEWYORK, ASSIGNORS '20 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTOR CORFOBA'IION, 0] NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE Application fled October 81, 1929.Serial No. 408,768.

This invention relates to reeling devices and more particularly to africtional takeup mechanism adapted to apply a substantially uniformtension to the material on a reel.

The invention relates more "specifically to a reel for a motion pictureprojection machine in which the film in fed at a constant speed and at asubstantially uniform tens1on. The invention may, however, be. appliedto other types of reels and winding apparatus as will be apparent to aperson skilled in the art.

An object of the invention is to provide a frictional device which is caable of frictionally exerting an operating orce on a reel which isdependent upon the weight of the material carried thereon.

Another object is to provide a frictional reeling device which iscapable of maintainin the material supported by the reel at asubstantially uniform tension regardless of the diameter of the materialso carried.

A further object of the invention is to so vary the frictional forceapplied to a reel with respect to the speed of rotation of the reel andthe diameter of the material carried thereon that a substantiallyuniform tension is applied to said material in reeling and unreeling.

Still another object is to provide a variable frictionaltake-up devicefor a reel and means for controlling ,the friction thereof for causingsaid device to act as a variable drive.

A feature of the invention is a frictional clutch for exerting a forceon a reel which is determined by the weight of the material on the reeland the speed of rotation thereof.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent as thenature of the inven- Fig. 3 is a section ta en on the line 3-3 v of Fig.2.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identifiedby specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be asgeneric in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Referring to the drawings more in detail,

the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 as applied to a reel forprojection machines which includes a housing 10 having a shaft 11mounted therein. Housing 10 is provided with an upstanding flange 12 towhich a casing 13 maybe secured. Said casing forms a closure for thefilm magazine and may have door 14 associated therewith in anyconvenient manner. Housing 10 is provided with a bore 15 which is largerin diameter than shaft 11 and carries bearlng 16in which shaft 11 isjournaled. i

- Brake collar 20 is secured to shaft 11 by suitable means such as pin21 cooperating with an elongated slot 22 formed therein.

Nut 23 is carried on shaft 11 and serves to holdcollar 20 in its desiredposition. Thrust member 25 is journaled on shaft 11 and is provided witha spherical surface 26 which fits in a complementary surface formed onhousing 10. Member 25 is revented from turning with respect to housing10 by means of key 27 which is seated therein and cooperates with akeyway 28 formed in said housing. Friction disk 29 is journaled on shaft11 between member 25 and break collar 20.

Shaft 11 is provided with a shoulder 30 which bears against thrustbearing 16 and preverits longitudinal movement of said shaft. Said shaftis also provided with a collar 31 havin a pin 32 which cooperates with asuitable s ot 33 in film reel 34 for positively securing the same tosaid shaft.

Reel 34 may be of any standard construction and accordingly will not bedescribed in detail. It may be held against collar 31 by any convenientmeans such as lever 35 which is pivoted by pin 36 t0 the end of shaft 11and is provided with cam surface 37 which cooperates with a lunger 38seated in a bore in said shaft and eld against said cam surface byspring 39. Shaft 11 may be lubricated by suitable means such as oil cup40 which is threaded into housing-1O and communicates with bore 15.

In the operation of the above described reel the shaft 11 is free torotate in bearing 16 and is also free to pivot a slight amount therein.This pivotal movement is caused by the weight of the film carried on thereel at any particular time and produces a force which tends to raisethrust member 25 in housing 10. As said thrust member is raised inhousing 10 the surfaces on the thrust member and the housing operate aswedges and cause said thrust member to exert transverse pressure onfriction disk 29. The friction between disk 29 and break collar 20,which is determined by the pressure exerted on said friction disk, isaccordingly varied in accord-- ance with the weight of the reel and abraking action is developed which is proportional to the diameter of thefilm on the reel.

The maximum amount of friction will be applied when a full reel isositioned on shaft- 11 and this friction wil be progressively decreasedas the film is unwound. Since the film travels at a constant speed thereel must rotate at a speed which is dependent upon the diameter of thefilm wh1ch is carried thereon. This is accom lished by decreasing thefriction on bra e collar 20 as the weight of the reel decreases therebypermitting the reel to rotate at a faster speed.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in F1 2, parts identicalwith those in Fig. 1 have Iieen given corresponding reference numerals.It is to be noted that the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises adriving mechanism for a reel and is particularly applicable to the lowerfilm magazine of a motion picture projection apparatus. The reel 34 isshown mounted on shaft 11 which is journaled' in bearing 16 in themanner pointed out in connection with Fig. 1. Thrust member 25 isloosely journaled on shaft 11 and is held against rotation by pin 27which is secured in said thrust member and seated in keyway 28 formed insaid housing. Driving pulley 50 is loosely journaled on shaft 11 and isassociated with thrust member 25 by means of a thrust bearing 51.

Collar 52 is secured to shaft 11 by suitable means, such as pin 53,which coo erates with an elongated slot 54 therein. pring 55 is coiledaround collar 52 and seated between said collar and split nut 56 whichis threaded on the end of shaft 11. Nut 56 may be locked on shaft 11 bysuitable means such as set screw 57. Friction disk 29 is journaled onshaft 11 between pulley 50 and collar 52.

In the operation of the device illustrated in Fig. 2, a driving force isapplied to pulle 50 by any suitable means (not shown). Pu ley 50,however, is normally free to rotate about shaft 11 and to slidelongitudinally thereon.

The weight of the material on reel 34 causes shaft 11 to pivot aboutbearing 16, thereby raising thrust member 25 in housing 10. Thismovement causes the cooperating surfaces of the thrust member andhousing to act as wedges whereby a longitudinal thrust is obtained whichtends to move driving pulley 50 against friction disk 29. The frictionexerted by said disk between pulley 50 and collar 52 causes a drivingforce to be transmitted from said disk to shaft 11 which is proportionalto the weight of the material on reel 34. Since the diameter of the reelis directly proportional to the weight of the material thereon, thedriving force wi ll be maintained such that a constant tension isapplied to the material carried by the reel.

Although the cooperating surfaces between thrust member 25 and housing10 have been illustrated as conical in form, it is obvious that variousother configurations may be employed to obtain the desired wedgingaction. The force exerted through the friction member may be regulatedby adjustment of nut 23 of Fig. 1 and of nut 56 of Fig. 2, theadjustment being such that the desired tension is maintained upon thefilm.

The invention has been described as applied to the upper and lower filmmagazines of a motion picture projection apparatus but it is not to belimited thereto. It may also be applied in various other devices inwhich a constant reeling tension is required.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will beunderstood that various omissions. substitutions and changes in theforms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

7 What is claimed is:

1. In a reeling device, a rotatable shaft, means for supporting saidshaft for rotational and pivotal movement and for preventinglongitudinal movement thereof, a friction member associated with saidshaft, a second friction member loosely mounted on said shaft andadapted to move longitudinally thereof and a means controlled by thepivotal position of said shaft for causing longitudinal movement of saidsecond member on the shaft proportional to the extent of said ivotalmovement for varying the frictiona force transmitted from said secondmember to said shaft.

2. In a reeling device, a shaft, means for rotatably and pivotallymounting said shaft and for preventing longitudinal movement thereof, aclutch member associated with said shaft and movable longitudinallythereof and means controlled by the pivotal movement of said shaft forcausing longitudinal movement of said clutchmember on said shaftproportional to the extent of said pivotal movement.

3. In a reeling device, a shaft, means for rotatably and pivotallymounting said shaft, a friction member loosely carried by said shaft andhaving a wedge surface, a stationary member cooperating with said wedgesurface to cause longitudinal movement of said friction member withrespect to said shaft and means whereby the longitudinal position ofsaid friction member controls the frictional force transmitted to saidshaft. I

4. In a reeling device, a shaft, a housing therefor, means for rotatablyand pivotally mounting said shaft in said housing and for preventinglongitudinal" movement thereof,

a friction collar secured to said shaft, a thrust member journaled onsaid shaft in frictional engagement with said collar and movablelongitudinally thereof and means controlled by the pivotal movement ofsaid shaft for caus ing longitudinal movement of said thrust memberproportional to said pivotal movement whereby the force transmittedthrough saidfriction member to said collar is varied proportionally tothe weight causing said pivotal movement.

5. In a reeling device, a shaft, a housing therefor, means for rotatablyand pivotally mounting said shaft in said housing, a friction collarsecured to said shaft, a thrust member journaled on said shaft infrictional engagement with said collar and having a wedge surfacecooperating with a complementary surface of said housing, said'wedgesurfaces being adapted to cause longitudinal movement of said thrustmember proportional to the pivotal movement of said shaft whereby theforce transmitted through said friction member to said shaft is varied.

6. In a reeling device, a shaft, a housing therefor, means for rotatablyand pivotally mounting said shaft in said housing, a friction collarsecured to said shaft, a thrust member journaled on said shaft andhaving a wedge surface cooperating with a complementary surface of saidhousing, friction means interposed between said collar and said thrustmember, said wedge surfaces being adapted to cause longitudinal movementof said thrust member proportional to the pivotal movement of said shaftwhereby the force transmitted through said friction member to said shaftis varied.

7. In a reeling device, a shaft, means for rotatably and pivotallymounting said shaft, a friction collar secured to said shaft, a thrustmember journaled on said shaft and having a wedge surface cooperatingwith a complementary stationary surface, means for preventing rotationalmovement of said thrust member, friction means interposed between saidcollar and said thrust member, said wedge surfaces being adapted tocause longitudinal movement of said thrust member proportional to thepivotal movement of said shaft whereby the force transmitted throughsaid friction member to said shaft is varied said thrust member, andfriction means assdciated with said driving'pulley and cooperating withsaid collar for transmitting a force dependent upon thelongitudinalposition of said pulley.

9. A take-up device comprising a shaft journaled for rotational andpivotal movement, a friction driving collar secured to said shaft, athrust member journaled on said shaft and having a wedge surface, ahousing having a complementar wedge surface adapted to cause longituinal movement of,

said thrust member on said shaft in response to pivotal movement of saidshaft, a driving i pulley loosely mounted on said shaft, a thrustbearing between said driving pulley and said thrust member wherebythelongitudinal position of said driving pulley is controlled andfriction means interposed between said driving pulley and said collarwhereby a force is transmitted from said driving pulley proportional tothe extent of angular movement of said shaft. i

10. A take-updevice comprising a shaft journaled for rotational andpivotal movement, a friction collar secured to said shaft,

a thrust member journaled on said shaft and having a wedge surface, ahousing having a complementary wedge surface adapted to causelongitudinal movement of said thrust member on said shaft in response topivotal movement of said shaft, a driving pulley loosely mounted onsaidshaft, a thrust hearing between said driving pulley and said thrustmember whereby the longitudinal position of said driving pulley-iscontrolled by said member, friction means inter osed between saiddriving pulley and sai friction collar ada ted to transmit a forcedependent upon the ongitudinal position of said ulley and resilientmeans for securing said rictlOIfi collar in engagement with saidfriction dis i 11. A take-up mechanism comprising a housing, a shaftjournalled therein for pivotal and rotational movement, means forcausing pivotal movement of said shaft in res onse to the weight ofmaterial carried t ereon, a friction member loosely mounted on saidshaft, means controlled by the pivotal movement of said shaft for movingsaid friction member longitudinally with respect to said shaft and saidhousing, and means controlled by the longitudinal position of saidfriction member for determining the drag of said shaft. 4

12. A take-up device comprising a housing, a shaft journalled thereinfor pivotal and rotational movement, means for causing pivotal movementof said shaft in response to the weight of material carried thereon, afriction member looscly mounted on said shaft for longitudinal movementthereon, means associated with said housing and controlled by thepivotal movement of said shaft for causing longitudinal movement of saidfriction member with respect to both said housing and said shaft, andmeans controlled by the longitudinal position of said friction memberfor determinin the drag of said shaft.

A BERT KINDELMANN. EWALD BOECKING.

